Built as a tanker under yard No. 723 by the Deggendorfer Werft and Eisenbau GmbH, at Deggerdorf in Germany for the Malawi Railways.
03 December 1981 ordered and mostly paid for by the West German Government.
She was built in sections, and complete fitted out with machinery and pumps. The 55 sections were then put in 22 TEU’s containers, and transported to Hamburg by train. From there by ship to the port of Nacala in Mozambique, and from that port by train to Limbe in Malawi, from there the 22 containers were transported by trucks to the Malawi Railways Ltd. yard in the Monkey Bay.
The sections were reassembled at Monkey Bay by 9 German and 35 Malawian personnel.
Dimensions 45.9 x 8.5 x 3.5m. Length between pp. 42.0m., draught 2.4m.
Two diesel engines, 1.107 hp., speed 11 knots. Crew 14.
Fitted out with modern navigational equipment, 1 Decca Racal radar, Kelvin Hughus sounding machine and a Pye SSB radio installation.
Altogether she has 8 tanks, 6 of 40 cubic meter, and 2 of 39 cubic meter.
She has a capacity for 330 tons mixed oil cargoes like heavy fuel, diesel oil or any other kind of oil, which she can keep on temperature by heating coils in the tanks.
On deck she can carry 30 tons general cargo or lubrication oil in drums.
Building time at Germany was 7 months; the transport to Monkey Bay took two months. Reassembly took four months.
18 July 1983 launched under the name UFULU, the word means “Freedom”.
06 October 1983 delivered. Building cost over £1.5 million.
She is used in the service between Monkey Bay, Chipoke, Mkata Bay and Chirumba on Lake Malawi.
2009 So far I know still in service.
Malawi 1994 75t sg932, scott635
Source: Navicula. Log Book.